I know what the old Kanye West music lovers are saying. How can DONDA be art? The long-anticipated album has been years in the making, and years of constant speculation about its arrival. But now it’s here. DONDA. The Art. The thing about art is that it should never live in the grey. Meaning that it should spark either a “yes”, I really love this, this is classic. Or it should spark a “no”, this shit is wack, that shit gets no play in this ride. For anyone that knows Kanye West’s catalog knows that his art has always sparked that “yes” or “no” answer. Except in the rare cases of “The Life of Pablo” and “Ye”. Them shits was mid. 

But back to DONDA. The album that surprised its fans on August 29th. And as always, a Kanye West album is gonna get all of the publicity and all the momentum to put it on top of any billboard or top 10 album list. This we know! Even before the album, Kanye’s unprecedented concert merch sales from his stadium listening parties sold over $7 million for an album that had yet to release. But then again this is Kanye we’re talking about. The self-proclaimed “Lous Vuitton Don!”. His raps about luxurious expensive designer clothes had given him the eye to create his own line and get the distribution from major retailers like The Gap, Addidas and Nike. Ok. Ok. Let’s really get down to Donda.

​But this album does beg the question. With millions of songs being released every day. Does an album that is almost 2 hours long stand a chance in this new age of streaming? The answer to that is still up for debate. But in the case of DONDA, that answer is “no”. But anyone that truly knows about social media knows that a “no” can still spark a conversation that gets millions of people lining up to see just why a piece of art is so bad. History has shown that not every Van Gogh painting was a masterpiece. And in this case not every Kanye West album is a classic. Don’t get me wrong the album has some standout tracks such as “Off The Grid“ and “Hurricane“. But for the album to be so long I believe that most likely listeners will pick their favorite songs and add them to their playlist. NOBODIES GONNA LISTENING TO THIS ALBUM BACK TO BACK WITH NO SKIPS! Well, maybe the die-hard Kanye West fans that still struggle with the reality that their favorite rapper might be in the declining stages of his career. 

The best-featured verse on the album has to be Jay Electronica whose single verse appears twice on the album (featured on Jesus Lord and Jesus Lord pt 2). He's spittin bars, but that's Jay Electronica. That's what he does. Baby Keem (featured on the song Praise God) is another favorite feature for the album, his verse is so vivid and his different flows really accent the beat. This may be the thing to help catapult his career and position in the billboards during his next release. But like we said, this album has more than 35+ artists featured. That automatically means this can't be a classic album. Too many cooks in the kitchen and nobody really knows what the main dish is. 

It would be crazy to think that anyone could review DONDA in this short of a time period. Anyone that said they have would be lying. But if your giving it that first listen then there is no question that DONDA is art. Either you love it. Or you hate it. But what you can say the loudest is that there is no in between.

Final Thoughts:

• It was good to see Jay-Z and Kanye link back up, although it being the first song out the gate makes it seem kind of like. Let’s get this out the way.
• Baby Keem’s verse is like the little cousin standing in for the big cousin, you should hear Family Ties if you haven’t.
• Vory seems to be the artist that Kanye really wanted for the album, he appears on most tracks out of all the featured artists.
• This 27 track album isn’t a "no skip", it will most likely be pieced out into singles added to playlists.
  
• As a producer, Kanye West is still doper than ever. He incorporates so many sounds and genres.
• Conway The Machine and Westside Gunn killed Kanye on his own beat.
• Soulja Boy and Chris Brown aren’t on DONDA, but it wouldn’t have helped the album if they were.
• Kanye West’s love songs to Kim Kardashian get cornier and cornier (Who could forget “Bound 2”).
• Jay Electronica’s verse on Jesus Lord sounds good no matter what part of the album it comes on.
• My favorite songs on the album happen way too early in the album (“Off The Grid”, “Hurricane”, “Praise God”, “Junya”, ”Believe What I Say”, & “Remote Control”).
  
• Kanye is still Kanye.
• His album will always go No. 1 just around the hype alone.
• THIS IS NOT THE OLD KANYE!
• THIS IS NOT A CLASSIC!
• THIS IS ART!

Thanks for reading and go stream the album and let us know what you think about the album that Ye called DONDA:

Until I saw Eddie Murphy's remake of the movie Dolemite I never knew it was actually a movie. The original Dolemite premiered in 1975 and was classified as an American blaxploitation crime comedy. The main character Dolemite was originally played by Rudy Ray Moore, who was a comedian that had achieved commercial success through his comedy records that actually hit the top Billboard 25 charts. Riding the wave of his new found success Rudy Ray Moore decided to create a movie surrounding the polarizing figure that still lives on to this day. The film So popular was this characted that he even appeared on Snoop Dogg's verse on Nuthin' But A G Thang "Pimpin' hoes and clockin' a grip like my name was Dolemite". Snoop Dogg even had a small role in the movie. Some even credit Rudy May Moore with being the first to commercialize rap as the Sugar Hill Gang's Rapper's Delight dropped 2 years after Rudy Ray Moore's comedy album that used hip-hop cadences and inflections that align with early hip-hop. Many rappers have come told their story of how Dolemite has influenced their careers. This is the story of Dolemite!

The Orgin Story:
Every superhero has an origins story and Dolemite is no different. Rudy Ray Moore began as a local comedian and host still trying to find his style. It was not the local drunk came into a record store that he was the manger of that the idea of Dolemite came about. While trying to run the drunk out of his store he realized that the old drunk's wise tales and folklore were a hit with the people. This was just the act that Rudy Ray Moore needed to set his self apart. He then began traveling to local clubs performing. Get to the movie part. We will get there grasshopper.

It's Better to Bet On Yourself
When it comes to betting on yourself no one did it more than Rudy Ray Moore. His initial comedy album (Eat Out More Often) was recorded in his house and with the help of a loan from his aunt and  friends who helped record the track. He then shopped it around and was turned down by everybody. But the streets don't lie. Rudy Ray Moore started selling the comedy records out of the trunk and the funny thing is those same people that turned him down were now looking for him. And he won big! A multi-album distribution deal was just one of the advantages that Rudy Ray Moore received from betting on himself. But it wouldn't be the last time he would. It was when he saw a movie and the impact of being on the big screen that he really saw an opportunity. And this one would cost him everything. Mainly fronting the royalties of his albums as well as future albums. This was pressure. But what he did was again bet on himself.

Even after making the movie the story wasn't over. Nobody wanted to buy it. Studio after studio turned down buying the movie. So what did he do? He rented out a movie theater and again bet on himself by promoting the movie showing himself. The movie theater sold out each showing. Of course this also meant that the same studio productions that had turned him down previously were calling. Even after getting the movie made movie critics trashed his movie before it's big premiere, and again it was sold out in movie theaters around the country. Maybe the movie wasn't this over budget action packed drama that movie critics like, but then again what do movie critics know. Dolemite was a hit that made a estimated 12 million.

​ Just think it all came from betting on yourself.

"Keys Open Doors". The legendary rap duo "The Clipse" rapped on their album Hell Hath No Fury. The cocaine metaphor of the selling of drugs opening doors to opportunities that only come with money was clever and been well established as their signature style. Pusha T and Malice, two brothers who were different, even though they both spoke about their drug dealing pasts, but it was their delivery and how they approached each record that couldn't be more different. Malice was the more reflective artists that saw the bad he had done to his community as something he hoped to one day be  forgiven for. Pusha T on the other hand, wore his drug dealings past as a medal of honor, and a purple heart both representing his survival as well as his wounds healed from the necessary things that helped him become "King Push".

Anyone who is familiar with Pusha T's music knows that when it comes to skill and lyrical ability, Pusha T is a top emcee. But when it comes to lyrical content it can't be disputed that Pusha T's content is limited. He is a specialists, in basketball there are plenty of pure position players or "specialists". But what you find now with the game going in a different direction is that a specialists doesn't get as much game time as a multi-skilled player. Same thing with hip-hop. Nobody calls Pusha T when they want to put an artist on a record that will talk about building the community, or a club record, or even a hardcore lyrical hip-hop track. But when an artist wants to make a song about crack or selling drugs, it's gotta be King Push/Pusha T. This just happened on the release of Freddie Gibbs song "Palmolive".

​This is that heroine flow at it's finest. But the self-proclaimed "King Push" has always been known for his dope metaphors and narcotics references. So much is Pusha T known for his drug lingo that there are sites that have charted this his use of drug references throughout his career.

According to a May 23, 2018 article by Ben Carter, Pusha T's as a lead artist references drugs over 20% of the time​. This is staggering statistic seeing that an artist's solo album is supposed to be more personal and culturally relevant. And anyone that really sells work knows that crack don't move like it did in the 80s. I am not saying that Pusha T has to stop rapping about dope. But he should be more evolutionary in his topics and subject matter. Jay-Z is a great example of a braggadocios drug dealer turned family man and successfully "legal" entrepreneur. His album 4:44 is a major turnaround from the Reasonable Doubt Jay-Z. But if you look at the chart below Pusha T's drug references has only increased with time.

Remember also that these statistics were taken before his most recent album "Daytona" that featured a picture of Whitney Houston's bathroom littered with drugs and drug paraphernalia. The album even has a song called "Hard Piano" that features another former ex-dope boy "Rick Ross" that samples "High As Pie - Slice II by Charles Wright & The Watts 103 Rhythm Street Band". The title of the song is a double entendre referencing the hard hitting of the piano keys and the hard white that is a dope boys product. Again this is Pusha T at his best drug metaphors and double entendre's that the most skilled dope boy couldn't weigh up to.

​So what's wrong with this prison that Pusha T has built? Nothing and at the same time EVERYTHING. Nothing because it's him maximizing on his strengths and going all in on them. He has a sense of self-awareness that has to be congratulated and I truly believe there is no rapper that can beat his Novocain flow. But everything is wrong with it because it shows no growth. It perpetuates an era that fewer and fewer can relate to. A generation that is becoming more and more aged out of hip-hop and are evolving or already dead. Ain't too many 35 year old and up D-boys. If there is, they choose the wrong business. This is why Pusha T's subject matter has to evolve. Like I stated earlier, there are examples. Jay-Z did. T.I. is becoming the next Malcolm X. Even Jeezy has evolved and talks about his community and uplifting his people. But as stated earlier, Pusha T built this prison. Some may argue he built it to his liking. But Pablo Escabor also built his own prison, and that was the start of his decline. Admittedly it would be dope if he did create a song called "La Catedral".
 
To sum it up. Pusha T can and will survive in the current climate of hip-hop. But it will never be because of his true talent, it will be because he will be seen as a niche' artist. His fan base will only put on his music when they want to feel like a dope boy. But is that where he wants his music to stop is the question? Like we said the crack era is over. Unless he's gonna start talking about meth his music will be niche' at best. Nostalgic at worst. And he's even made a track called "Nosetalgia" that whose title is a pun on nose+nostalgia, a double entrendre for your sense of smell that is linked to memory. In this case dope boy memories. Whether it be niche' or Nosetalgia, it's no doubt that he's King Push. ​

His track 1985 (Intro to the "Fall Off") is an example of how J. Cole is tackling this generational issue. Although coming off as big brother, J. Cole is giving advice to the new school rappers. But it's his tone and delivery that give off the perception that it's more of an ultimatum than a true invitation for a dialogue. 

It's lines like these that fueled the fire in a lot of the up-and-coming artist. The new generation of rappers often seen as the younger siblings often wonder "the audacity of the middle child taking the oldest's side. Especially since not too long ago they saw the middle child doing the same things they are now talking down on. " And so with the release of J. Cole's song, an up-and-coming artist named YBN Cordae chose to respond with his own version of the song called "Old Niggas". 

XXL Freshman 2019 is one of the recent accomplishments of YBN Cordae. But for anyone that has followed his career knows that he's got bars! Old Niggas is a track filled with just that, as YBN Cordae spits his vision of the current rap layout and the generational gap that now persists.  

Line after line. Bar after bar. YBN Cordae goes into depth how his generation may be doing dumb shit, but the old school rappers are still doing dumb shit, and are not exactly the model citizens that they portray their generation to be.

As seen in the lyrics above YBN Codae uses the same cadences and flow that J. Cole used in the original track, as to say, "look! See nigga, y'all did the same shit we doing." Even using J. Cole's most notable line against him, "Just remember what I told you when your shit flop. In five years you gon' be on Love & Hip-Hop, nigga". YBN responds with: 

YBN proves that all new school rappers aren't bad. They're just different. Just like the rappers that came before them. Also he also proves that they are figuring it all out just like the old school rappers was when they first started. Just like any young person going through life. And while J. Cole has lived past the young stage, maybe it's his life experience and studies of the older generation that makes him want to make sure that the younger generation does better. He grew up on Jay-Z who famously said, "Like I told you sell drugs; no, HOV did that. So hopefully you won't have to go through that." But the new generation whose heroes are now going to jail for charges way worse than selling drugs, it's easy to see how the new school could be questioning the medicine that old school is prescribing. Either way we all become old. And one day YBN Cordae will be an Old Nigga. 

Listen to YNB Cordae's track "Old Niggas".

DreamDoll did just this when she bodied Tory Lanez with her diss track "On Your Head".  It was truly Tory Lanez's fault as he brought up the fact that he fucked Dream Doll during his rap beef diss track exchange with Don Q. In his track "Don Queen" Tory states that he fucked DreamDoll for free as opposed to Don Q who in the who was only able to fuck her after paying for a feature. You know pay to play! ​

​Of course Don Q had to respond. It's a rap beef! But what the world didn't expect is the fact that DreamDoll would come out with her own diss track called "On Your Head". Where she bodies Tory Lanez:

Trae the Truth is one of the most respected rappers in the game. With H Town (Houston) on his back and the streets to hold him down Trae the Truth is a southern Hip-Hop legend that even the Drake's and Jay-Z's recognize as being one of the best. His quiet tone is matched by fast delivery that rivals rap spittas like Twista and E-40. But his willingness to give back to the hood has made him a staple in Houston music but more importantly in Houston culture. So it would be no surprise that Trae the Truth would be able to gather some of the dopest emcee's on one track. And as a fan he is able to get them all in one video. This is the power of Trae the Truth. ​

"I'm On" has become a series of such, originally appearing on his 2011 release Street King. Since then Trae the Truth has released 2 more versions of the "I'm On" series with most recently being the video "I'm on 3.0" which dropped 2 weeks ago. The formula for this series has been simple. Get a bunch of dope artists both new school and old school and a dope vocalist on the hook. Then shoot a video. Hip-Hop video magic right? Not exactly. This is where we start to question how valuable this series has been to the culture.

The video "I'm On 3.0" is currently sitting at a little over 1 Million views. Not a small feat by any means, but with big name artists like T.I, DRAM, Tee Grizzly, and 12 other credited artists this is far from a win. The sheer social media reach combined for all of these artists are well over 1 Million. So why hasn't it had the same viral effect as City Girls & Cardi B's "Twerk" video which is currently sitting at over 21 Million views?

One reason maybe the tone of the song. It has a slow-paced slow evolving production though there are peaks where the beat switches to a more up-tempo pace (for example during G-Easy's verse), it's still far from a club track. Does this mean that lyrical skill and content is not as preferred as twerk club music? Yes, but we knew that. But has Trae the Truth's love of putting out this series not justified it's return? In the short-term I say Yes. But in the long-term I say it's doing what it's supposed to do. Trae the Truth has never been a commercial rapper, he's always been the one willing to do things his way, even if that was the longer way. The impact of this series may not be realized right away. But it may be that one song that one person may need to get through their day. And to leave the right impact, one that lasts forever, that's enough. Trae the Truth is as the chorus says. I'm On.

P.S. It's some dope fucking lyrism on this track.
​
P.S.S.: Fabulous did recycle his first bar. 

Checkout the video to "I'm On" below:

When it comes to a good story, the internet is undefeated. Whether it's comedy. tragedy, drama, or romance the internet has it all. It's the things movies are made of! And much like Michael Jackson's Thriller video the internet can be a horror movie. So what happens when the internet and the Thriller music video team? Another great #TwitterStory, told this time by comedian @roywoodjr. So sit back, grab some popcorn, and let's see what happens. 

And there you have it! Another #TwitterStory. Would you go on a second date? Leave a comment below.

Also who could forget the video that started it all "Thriller" by the GOAT Michael Jackeson.

The internet was set a blaze when J. Cole, Jermaine, announced that he was releasing an album called KOD. This caused lots of speculation about what the meaning of the album truly meant. Did KOD stand for "Kids on Drugs"? Or is it "Killing or Demons"? Or better yet is it "King Over Dose"? The answer still open to interpretation and it seems to be the way J. Cole likes it.

Listen to J. Cole's Album KOD in it's entirety below: